The invention relates to a golf tee for supporting a golf ball for driving; particularly to a golf tee that is durable for withstanding numerous hits and having an extended long useful life.
A golf tee for supporting a golf ball for driving the ball from the tee box is well known and has long been in use. A golf tee is typically fabricated from wood having a shank diameter of about 0.15 to 0.19 inches, a length of about 2.50 to 3.00 inches, having an upper end in the shape of a 0.50 inch diameter cup for supporting a golf ball, and a pointed lower tip for inserting the tee into the ground at the tee box.
A problem associated with the tee is that the golf club usually hits the upper end of the tee, as well as the ball, and the tee is chipped, broken or driven from the ground and lost during the swing of the club. A typical tee is only useful for a few drives of the ball, and the golfer requires numerous tees for playing a round of golf.
There have been previous attempts to design and develop a more durable golf tee, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,455 in which a composite cushioning collar is provided, and a conventional wooden tee is inserted through the central opening of the collar to protect the shank of the tee. The collar seems to absorb some impact of the club, but the rigid wooden tee remains exposed to be chipped or broken, particularly above and below the collar.
Another prior art design is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,752 in which a golf tee support includes a rectangular block housing having an upper end for receiving a golf tee for supporting a golf ball, and a lower end that is inserted into the ground and inter-connected to the block by a flexible spring. After impact, the support is deflected but remains in position after the ball is hit. This support includes four components and is dependent on the integrity of the spring for any additional use.
Another prior art design is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,170 in which a two piece golf tee includes a lower plastic piece that is inserted into the ground and having an extended flexible retainer shaft; and an upper plastic sleeve is slideably positioned on the flexible shaft for supporting the golf ball. On impact, the upper sleeve is deflected and slides to the end of the flexible shaft of the lower plastic piece. The components are snapped together on assembly, and can be snapped apart on impact. The two movable pieces may need to be reassembled or repositioned after each use.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a durable golf tee that has a compressible collar to absorb the initial impact of a golf club, that is also flexible internally to further absorb the impact, and is molded of tough material to resist chipping and breakage during repeated uses.
It is another object to provide a durable golf tee that is of an integral one-piece final assembly that has no moving parts or deformable parts, for consistent repeatable use.
It is another object to provide a durable golf tee that is robust to tool and mold, can be efficiently manufactured, and that can be marketed at a reasonable price.